Not Running
by Brook18
Summary: Here is what happens after Amelia and Owen listen to the voicemail together. Plus everything that follows.
1. Prologue

" _You okay?". "Yeah. Yeah, I am"._

And for the first time in a really long time she means it. Sitting here with Owen, she finally feels okay again. The world suddenly seems filled with endless possibilities and she knows that her brother would want her to allow herself to be happy

She decides then and there that she's not running. She's still terrified, part of her knows that feeling of fear won't ever leave her completely, but she's determined to stay put, maybe even move forward. She wants what she started with Owen, and judging by the fact that he's still sitting there beside her even after everything, holding her hand, so does he.

Slowly and deliberately, so she won't startle him, nor herself for that matter, Amelia brings her hand up to cup the side of his face, caressing his cheek with her thumb. Their eyes are still interlocked and Owen knows what she's trying to do, but he waits for her to make the first move. She needs to be the one to initiate it.

Then, after about a minute or so, she leans forward and kisses him. Amelia brings her other hand to his face as well as she does so, and Owen wraps his arms lightly around her small frame.

The kiss doesn't last long, but it's sweet and tender and everything they need right now, for now it's enough and for now it's saying all the things they'll have time to discuss later.

Amelia pulls away reluctantly. She knows that if she keeps kissing him it'll lead to more than either one of them is ready for and they have to talk about things first. Besides, at this moment she really needs to find Meredith, and clear the air with her sister in law.

The same disappointed she feels is also clearly visible in his eyes and she smiles at him as she stand. "I have to go" She says, "talk to Meredith. But uhm" She hesitates, slightly scared that he'll reject her, "I'm watching the kids tomorrow night, so maybe you could, if you want, have dinner with us and then after they're off to bed we could… talk".

As soon as the stuttering question has left her mouth she can tell that her fear of rejection is completely unfounded. The grin that splits his face in two is prove enough of that, and so is his answer. "I'd love that".

Beaming internally she walks towards the bedroom door. "Okay" She says and she looks back at him. "See you tomorrow". He's still smiling as she opens the door and he watches her leave. "Okay".

Something's grown between them tonight. And though it's not quite clear where it'll lead just yet, he can't wait to find out.

 **AN; Small sort of prologue to a story I'm working on right now. Let me know what you think! Xx**


	2. Chapter 1

It's nearing five o'clock when Owens knocks on the front door to the house the next day. He's not sure if he's welcome yet because they hadn't set a time yesterday, but five o'clock seems like a good time to start dinner, and he hadn't been able to wait any longer.

Amelia opens the door, while holding Ellis in her arms. She's wearing black jeans and a simple dark grey sweater that falls loosely around her shoulders. Her hair is tied up in a messy bun at the back of her head. It's an ordinary outfit, but she's anything but, and he swears she's the most beautiful sight he's ever seen. The baby in her arms makes her that much more appealing and he steps forward to lightly kiss her cheek.

After stepping back he nearly falls to the floor as something rams into his legs, knocking him over. "Uncle Owen" Exclaims a voice, and upon looking down he sees Zola hanging onto his legs. "Hey Zo" He says, "good to see you".

The little girl beams up at him. "Are you staying to eat dinner with us?" She asks. Owen nods "If that's okay with you and your brother". She nods fervently and finally lets go off his legs.

At that moment Bailey shuffles over to the door as well. All the noise has caught his attention and he wants to join in on the excitement as well. Upon seeing Owen the little boy lifts his arms up toward him. He's not much of a talker yet but the gesture gets the job done because Owen scoops him up, balancing Bailey against his side with one arm.

"Hey bud," He says, "What do you think, can you and your sister show us how to make dinner?". Bailey and Zola both giggle shake their head. "Well then I guess we're just gonna have to do it ourselves. You wanna help?".

When they enthusiastically nod their heads Owen looks at Amelia, asking her approval. She's been watching the exchange fondly and she smiles at him, gesturing towards the kitchen to let them know he can take the lead.

He smiles and walks away, Bailey still in his grip, and Zola in tow. Amelia follows, making a beeline over to where Ellis' bouncer is standing and picking it up with the hand that isn't holding the baby. She places the chair on the countertop close by so that she can keep an eye on the youngest Shepherd while they cook, and so that the baby can keep an eye on them too.

In the meanwhile Owen has put Bailey in a highchair by the counter and Zola has climbed up on a barstool right next to her little brother.

"Okay," Owen says once everyone is situated, "What are we making?". Amelia gestures to the ingredients she'd already put on the counter earlier. "I was thinking Lasagna". "Great, let's get started".

It amazes Amelia how easily they slip into a rhythm. Both of them know exactly what task to do and they compliment each other perfectly. Occasionally they touch when reaching around the other one, and at one point, when she's standing by the stove, Owen slides an arm around her waist while he uses his other hand to stir, laying his head down on her shoulder. It's completely unfamiliar territory for the both of them and yet it's completely comfortable. The proximity makes Amelia's stomach fill with butterflies as she envisions this becoming part of their daily routine.

Once the sauce is done Amelia lets Zola spoon it into the baking tray, and Bailey gets to sprinkle the cheese on top of the lasagna. Then Amelia puts it in the oven.

"That's gonna take about thirty five minutes to bake." She says as she sets the timer, "Zo, why don't you and Bailey play with Owen while I feed Ellie?". The little girl smiles and nods and Amelia winks at Owen "Good luck". He merely smiles at her and pulls Bailey out of his high chair, trekking after Zola as the little girl sprints over to the playpen.

As Amelia sets about preparing a bottle she can hear giggles and squeals coming from the other end of the room. Careful not to disturb the baby she lifts Ellis out of the bouncer and balances her in one arm, while holding the bottle in the other. The little girl happily drinks the formula and Amelia watches her affectionately.

After Ellis is done with her bottle Amelia puts her to bed, taking the baby monitor with her when she leaves. Meredith warned her that she's supposed to leave Ellis be if she starts crying, at least for a little while, so that she can learn how to calm herself, but Amelia can't bear leaving her niece crying. The little girl holds a special place in her heart and even if she ends up being spoiled rotten, Amelia's still going to pick her up any time she cries.


	3. Chapter 2

When Amelia's back downstairs she can't help but laugh at the sight that greets her.

Big bad major Hunt is sitting on one of Zola's little pink chairs at her miniature table, sipping tea from a plastic cup and wearing a princess tiara.

How Zola ever convinced him to put the crown on his head she has no idea, but she quickly and quietly snaps a picture with her phone before he can take it off.

"I see my niece has you wrapped around her little finger" She says as she makes her way over to them. He looks up and finally notices her. He grins at her sheepishly. "I guess you could say that". It says a lot about the kind of man he is that he's not even blushing.

Right that moment the timer dings indicating that the lasagna is done baking. "Sounds like dinner's ready. Owen, could you get the monster to the table while I take it out off the over?" She asks, and he's happy to oblige. "Absolutely".

It doesn't take long to have everyone seated and eating. Zola's entertaining them with stories from her day at school and Owen's acting like the perfect listener while Amelia's busy helping Bailey with his food.

After desert Amelia announces that it's time for bed and for once the kids trudge up stairs without complaint, with their aunt in tow. About half way up though Zola stops and looks at Amelia. "Can uncle Owen read me a bedtime story?".

"I don't see why not, if you ask him nicely". At that the little girl turns to Owen and puts on the biggest puppydog eyes Amelia's ever seen on anyone. Realistically she probably taught them to her niece and she feels slightly guilty towards Owen, there's no way he'll be able to say no now. "Uncle Owen, will you read me a bedtime story?".

The grown up is powerless against the child's plea and he smiles at her. "Of course Princess Zola" He says and he moves to follow them up the stairs.

It shocks Amelia just how much easier it is to put the kids to bed when she's not outnumbered by them and after within twenty minutes she's done reading Bailey his bedtime story and she puts on his night light before she leaves his room.

As she checks on Ellie, who's still sleeping soundlessly in her crib in Meredith's room, she hears Owen's voice coming from Zola's room and she lingers in her doorway as he finishes his story.

"... And then the princess restored the blind man's eyesight, and in doing so she stole the prince's heart. And they all lived happily ever after".

Zola's fighting to keep her eyes open as she looks at Owen. "Uncle Owen," She asks, "Can you tell me a bedtime story like this every night from now on?". He smiles. "Not every night Zo, but I'll try to make it more often".

He bends down and kisses her forehead. "Good night Princess". And then he gets up from where he's been sitting on the edge of her bed, making his way to the door.

"How long have you been standing here?" He asks as he catches sight of her in the door frame. Amelia closes the door once he's in the hallway and only then she replies. "Long enough to realise that story isn't as made up as you made Zola believe" she says and she stand up on her tippy toes to kiss his cheek.

She takes a hold of his hand and pulls him with her. "let's go down stairs".


	4. Chapter 3

They sit down on the couch across from each other, slightly awkward now that it's just the two of them, and with the prospect of talking in mind. Amelia's sitting crosslegged, facing him, Owen's facing her as well and sitting on the couch sideways.

"So" Amelia says nervously, "I'm not exactly good at his whole talking thing. Where should we start?".

Owen grins. "Neither am I, but I'll give it a try". Then he sighs. "Look, we both said some things, hurtful things, before everything… happened, but more out of fear than anything else. I'm not saying we won't have to deal with it, but maybe it's just easier to forget about that for now".

Amelia knows he's talking about the time she called them a mistake, and he called them a plane crash. She understands what he's saying and she agrees with his reasoning. They'll deal with potential problems when they run into them.

She grins at him. "Can we just forget about my little breakdown too? Because that'd be great". She joking, well at least partly, but his expression is completely serious as he scoots closer.

"Amelia," He says, and his eyes are piercing hers, "I wouldn't even if I could. That night is prove of how strong you are. How long had you been standing there? And yet you hadn't take the drugs yet, and you told me, which tells me that you never really wanted to take them. Amelia" he says her name again and grabs her hands, "you letting me in means more to me than I could ever say".

There's something she needs to tell him if they're gonna start being totally honest with each other, and she knows she won't if she doesn't do it now. She takes a shaky breath and looks down. "It hurt me a lot when you left. I needed you and you weren't there. But that's not... I mean I don't blame you, what I'm trying to say is, I was scared to death that I'd lose you too. And Owen" She says, and she looks him intently in the eye, "I can't lose you too".

The anguish in her voice cuts him like knives and he vows to himself that he'll never make her sound like that again if he can help it. "I promise you I won't leave you again, not willingly. I'm in this one hundred percent. No more running".

She smiles at him shily, and there are tears in her eyes. "Good. Because seeing you run from me hurts like hell. And I want to make this work too". She hesitates, but then continues, "You're gonna have to be patient though, because I have a lot of stuff hidden underneath the surface and…" He interrupts her before she can say more. "So do I, but we'll push through, together, it's what we do after all.".

They're grinning at each other now, and he can tell she recognises the comment from when he used it almost a year ago. Then they simultaneously lean in to kiss each other, saying everything they haven't said out loud yet with that kiss.


	5. Chapter 4

The kiss heats up quickly and Amelia opens her lips to invite him in. He takes no time at all to accept the invitation and their tongues twirl around each other playfully. Owen pushes her down into the couch cushions and she scoots up slightly as he does so that she's lying flat on her back, stretching her legs to get more comfortable.

Like any time he's on top of her he's afraid he'll crush her, and he keeps one arm next to her head to support himself, while the other one finds it's way to her back. Her hands are playing with his hair and pulling him, if possible, even closer.

Right when Amelia starts fumbling with the buttons of his dress shirts they get interrupted by a small voice. "Auntie Amelia". She pushes Owen off of her unapologetically and sits up quickly. Even though she's an adult, making out with another consenting adult, she feels like a teenager being caught by her parents and her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Her niece is standing at the foot of the stairs in her nighty, with a stuffed giraffe in her arms.

"Hey Zozo, what's wrong? Why aren't you in bed" She asks and she makes her way over to the little girl. "I'm thirsty" Replies Zola, and Amelia picks her up. "Let's get you some water then, we can't have you being thirsty!".

Owen watches Amelia as she puts Zola on the kitchen counter and gets her a glass of water. She's amazing with kids, and his heart fills with joy as he imagines having children of their own some day.

Once the glass is empty, Zola sets it back on the counter, and Amelia picks her up and carries her upstairs. "Let's get you back to bed". Owen follows after them without thinking about it.

Amelia tucks Zola back into bed and sits down on the side of her bed.

"Auntie Amy, are you and uncle Owen getting married?" Asks Zola, and Amelia is slightly thrown off by the question. Then she smiles. "I don't know Zo, it's a bit too early to think about that just yet. Why do you ask?".

The little girl takes her time before she answers. "I don't want you to leave us yet".

"Oh sweetie" Amelia says, "I won't ever leave you, I love you way too much for that". Zola meets her eye, "daddy loved us very much as well, and he still left".

A lump forms in the back of her throat but she swallows it back down. This isn't the time for tears, she needs to comfort her niece first. "He didn't want to Zo, I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes people are just too sick or too hurt to stay, no matter how much they might want to".

"I miss him" Zola says, and Amelia strokes a stray tear from the little girl's cheek. "I know sweetheart. But you know what, he'll always be watching over you, making sure you're okay. And we'll never forget him".

The little girl seems satisfied with that for now and she closes her eyes, fatigue finally catching up with her.

Amelia moves toward the door and closes it after flicking of the light. Owen in leaning against a wall in the hallway, but as soon as he sees the tear tracks on her face he envelops her in a hug, and she buries her head in the crook of his neck.

Only when she knows she can control herself does she step back, and she smiles at him. "And here I thought we could have one evening without me bursting into tears" She jokes. He kisses her forehead, "It pains me to see you cry, but it means I get to comfort you so I don't mind in the slightest".

She rests her head against his chest and sighs. "I love these kids so much it hurts. And I want to help them, I just don't know how".

"You are helping them" He says and he strokes her back in circles, "You're here, you love them, that's all anyone can do". She takes a shaky breath. "I'm just so worried I'll ruin them" She whispers, as if saying it out loud will make it true.

Owen tilts up her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "You won't. You're a great aunt. Sure, you'll make mistakes, but they won't love you any less and you certainly won't ruin them". He softly kisses her lips.

"Thank you" Amelia says and she smiles. "Now let's go back downstairs so we can pick up where we left off".


	6. Chapter 5

Back down stairs they're making out on the couch again. This time Amelia is straddling Owen's hips. Before it can heat up though Owen breaks away and she looks at him poutingly.

"I hate to break this up, but... What time is Meredith coming back?".

Amelia's eyes flash in terror. "Oh crap, Meredith". He looks at her questioningly, "Does that mean I have to go like, right now?".

She shakes her head, "No, no, no she won't be home for another hour at least, so we're good. It's just that I'm going to have to tell her about us now and before I… Before we broke up, she kind of warned me off of you". An angry look crosses his face, "She did what?!".

"I already told her to back off" Amelia interjects quickly, before he can get too angry, "I was pretty horrible to her actually, I should probably apologise… Anyway, apparently Christina asked her to look out for you so that's what she was doing, making sure that I didn't ruin you, which is a sentiment I can relate to, so I can't really blame her".

She's staring at his chest but he tilts up her chin so that their eyes meet. "Amelia," He says with a tender voice, "you could never ruin me, you only make me better. And besides, I'm a grown man, I don't need Meredith looking out for me".

In all honesty he's surprised that she ìs looking out for him, considering how much she hated him at first. It's probably only because Christina asked her.

"Like I said, I understand where she was coming from" Amelia says, "But that doesn't matter right now, what matters is she never knew that we broke up because then the whole world got screwed up and she left, and since she's been back we haven't really been getting along, let alone talking about my love life". Amelia is done rambling now and she takes a deep breath to calm herself down.

Owen cups her face with his right hand and she leans into his touch instinctively. "Look, just let her know that we're serious about this, I'm sure she'll be okay with it". She nods her head, thinking that she'd be lost without him.

"Do you want me to be there when you tell her?" He asks, but she shakes her head, "No, this is something I need to do by myself, but thank you, for offering" She replies and she kisses him.

When she pulls back again he looks up at her hesitantly. "So I guess there's no chance of me staying over then?" He says.

"Actually I was rather hoping you'd stay" She says, adding quickly, "if you want to that is". He strokes her cheek, "I would love to, but only if it won't cause another argument between you and Meredith, now that you guys are finally okay again".

A laugh escapes her lips. "Okay, first off, Meredith isn't my mother. And second, I can handle Meredith, what I can't handle however" She says and she blushes, "Is that thought of you leaving tonight".

Telling him that, and showing vulnerability, is incredibly hard for her, and he knows it, so he's touched that she's opening up to him and he smiles. There's no way in hell that he's leaving her now. "I'm glad I can stay".


	7. Chapter 6

His hands are tangled in her on her back and neck, hers are unbuttoning his t-shirt. Their tongues are intertwining and both of them are out of breath.

Amelia knows they're going to have to move to her bedroom soon, or they won't make it that far, and she reluctantly moves off of Owen's lap, leaving him sitting on the couch with a very disappointed look on his face.

"I was thinking we'd better continue this in my bedroom" She says as she walks over to the kitchen counter, where she left the baby monitor earlier. His eyes widen as he realises he's about to see her bedroom for the first time, and he follows her to the kitchen.

As she leans over the counter to grab the monitor, he presses her against it and, pushing her hair bun aside, kisses her neck. A moan escapes her mouth as he leaves a hickey on her skin, and she turns around in his grasp.

He lifts her up onto the counter and her legs sneak around his waist as their lips crash together in a passionate kiss. His hands find their way underneath her sweater and his calloused fingers leave goosebumps all over her skin. Then his mouth leaves hers and he trails kisses down her jaw, neck and then her collarbone, sucking her pulsepoint.

"Bedroom" She groans, "Now". And he obligingly tightens his grip on her as he carries her across the room and up the stairs. She laughs as he tries to kiss her and walk at the same time because it's obviously not working and he nearly bumps into a wall.

They reach the hallway in one piece and she gestures toward the right door. "That leads to my bedroom". Her stomach churns with butterflies as she realises he's about to see her room for the first time. It makes her feel like a teenager, again.

He skillfully maneuvers them through the door and closes it once they're inside, pushing her against it as he does so. He kisses her neck forcefully, but before she can even fully adjust to their position he moves them again, this time to the bed, and he throws them on it, careful not to crush her in the proces.

Then he pauses and grins down at her. "Sorry about that" he says, "I got a little carried away". She answers his grin with her most tempting smile.

It works like a charm because the next moment he's kissing her again, and she starts unbuttoning his shirt. Fumbling with the buttons is taking to long though and in one swift movement she just rips it open to reveal his abs, making the reminder of the buttons fly everywhere. He looks baffled for a moment and then he starts to laugh. "Guess I'm going to have to sow those back on".

She raises an eyebrow at him. "I'll buy you a new shirt. Now shut up and kiss me". He's more than happy to comply.

They make love slowly and sensually, neither feeling the need to rush things as they subconsciously know that they have all the time in the world together, and they want to enjoy each other fully.

When they've both reached climax, Owen rolls to the side so that he's not longer lying on top of her, pulling Amelia with him as he does so and holding her against his side. She snuggles in closer and puts an arm around his torso, while she rests her head on his shoulder.

Both are panting and it takes a few minutes until their breaths even out.

Just as his eyes are starting to droop, he can feel Amelia moving out of his grasp and off the bed. She puts on his shirt, fastening the only three remaining buttons. The sight makes his heart skip a beat.

"What are you doing" He asks with a pout on his face. She grins at him, "I'm going to get the baby monitor, which I forgot to bring upstairs thanks to you. I'm apparently one of those horrible babysitters parents have nightmares about, the ones who make out with their boyfriends instead of watching the kids".

She's joking, and he laughs, but he didn't miss the fact that she just called him her boyfriend, and the title makes him smile that much wider.

About five minutes after she left the room, she returns again, this time with the baby monitor, and she's also carrying two glasses of water. She places everything on the bedside table and climbs back into bed, immediately being met by his strong arms.

"Let's go to sleep" He murmurs into her hair, and she sighs contentedly as she buries her head further into his chest. "I could fall asleep like this everyday" says her muffled voice, and he kisses the top of her head.

"Then it's a good thing that I"m not going anywhere".


	8. Chapter 7

When Meredith arrives home that night she's fully expecting to come across a mess and her sister in law wiped out on the couch. However, the living room seems about as tidy as she'd left it that morning and Amelia is nowhere in sight.

Her first instinct is to panic but she composes herself as she realises the kids are most likely already sleeping and Amelia probably went to bed too. Just to settle the residue of nerves that still plagues her she walks upstairs and checks.

First she walks into Zola's room, and the spots the little girl tucked neatly into bed. Next she walks to Bailey's room and he too is fast asleep, wearing pj's and everything.

Ellis' crib is still in her room and she walks in to find her sucking her thumb, sleeping just like her older siblings.

Meredith changes into a pair of sweats instead of the jeans she's been wearing to get more comfortable and walks over to Amelia's room, intend on asking how things went with the kids tonight. She knows full well how difficult it is to be outnumbered by them, and she's grateful that Amelia's still willing to babysit.

Instead of knocking first she just barges straight through the door, she's never been one for patiently waiting to be called in and the privacy issues doesn't really bother her either. If people want to be left alone they can lock the door.

The sight she walks in on isn't one she'd expected and she freezes in the doorway.

Amelia is lying in bed, obviously asleep, but that isn't the shocking part. She snuggled up against Owen Hunt. Former chief, trauma surgeon, Cristina's ex, Owen Hunt.

He's asleep as well and they both have smiles on their faces.

It shouldn't have been this much of a shock. With everything that had been going on she'd completely forgotten about it but the two had been dating before… everything happened. Meredith hadn't even considered the possibility of them still being together, hell, she hadn't even thought about it at all.

Part of her is happy that Amelia has someone looking out for her, but she's also slightly concerned because both have troubled pasts and she witnessed everything that Owen put Cristina through.

She's not about to start complaining though. It seems that the two worked out in the end, and she's finally made peace with Amelia again, no use starting an argument about something that isn't really her business anyway.

Slowly and quietly she closes the door, and makes her way back downstairs, fully intend on making good use of the uncommon quiet that has settled around the house.

There's a slice of leftover lasagna in the kitchen and she heats it in the microwave while she pours herself a glass of red wine. Then she picks her favorite spot on the sofa and turns on the television.

The rest of the night she spends rooted to her spot, watching more crappy tv shows than she's seen in months, until she finally tired and treks up to bed.


	9. Chapter 8

The next morning Amelia awakes fully rested. She looks at her alarm and notices it's only seven thirty. She wonders why on earth she's awake this early but her train of thought gets interrupted by a noise on the bedside table.

Ellis' fussing is clearly audible over the baby monitor and Amelia listens for a while to see if Meredith picks her up. When it becomes clear though that Meredith isn't awake yet, Amelia slides off of the bed, being as careful as possible so that she won't wake Owen.

He's usually a very light sleeper and she's hardly ever awake before him, let alone this early. She turns off the baby monitor so that he won't accidentally wake because of Ellis and puts on a pair of shorts before she tiptoes out of her room and closes her door quietly.

Out in the hallway she notices Zola's door is already open, which means that her niece is already down stairs playing. She'll take Bailey out before she goes downstairs, but first she needs to get Ellis.

Choosing not to knock so that she won't accidentally wake Meredith, Amelia walks into the room and straight over to the crib. Ellis smiles when she sees her aunt and stretches out her chubby little arms.

Amelia pick the baby up and cradles her to her chest as she walks back into the hallway and on to Bailey's room.

The toddler is already awake and sitting on the ground, playing with a toy car. He's not old enough to go downstairs without supervision and so he has to wait every morning till one of the adults comes to fetch him.

"Hey buddy, wanna come downstairs with me and your sister?". The little boy nods and gets up, abandoning his toy.

They walk down the stairs together and as Amelia suspected Zola's already in the play area, dressing up a doll. Bailey immediately treks over to his sister and starts playing too. Satisfied that the kids are keeping themselves entertained Amelia moves over to the kitchen.

If she's going to have to tell Meredith about Owen and her it can't hurt to suck up to her a little first and so she starts breakfast. Waffles are always a good bribe, especially when it comes to Meredith.

Just when she's putting the last batch of batter into the waffle iron Meredith comes down the stairs, still dressed in pajamas. And after determining that her kids are safely playing she comes over to the kitchen.

"Good morning" Amelia says and Meredith looks at her suspiciously. "Goodmorning to you too. And one with waffles none the less". She quirks up an eyebrow and smirks.

"Yeah well, we haven't had a family breakfast in ages" Amelia replies, "I figured why not go all out". The smirk that's still plastered on Meredith's face is giving her the creeps.

Meredith pours herself a cup of coffee and leans against the counter. "So it has nothing to do with the boy that's currently occupying your bed?" She says casually.

A flush creeps up Amelia's cheeks. "How did you know?" She asks. Meredith seems slightly satisfied at her embarrassment. "I came into your room last night to ask you how things went and found you two sleeping together, in the literal sense. You looked pretty cute" She replies.

Amelia can't believe what she's hearing. Cute? That's not a reaction she'd expected from Meredith. It's almost too good to be true, "So you're not mad?".

Her sister in law tilts her head as if she considering the answer, then answers, "I'm a little mad that you kept it a secret, but then again I kinda gave you no choice. So no, I'm not mad. I'm glad you worked things out".

"In my defence we only got back together a few nights ago, so i haven't been hiding it that long" This isn't the right time for the entire story, she'll tell her that another time. She hesitates, "And since you're okay with all of this, can he come down and have breakfast with us?". She hopes this isn't taking it too far.

But Meredith smiles as she answers. "Sure, he's part of the family now after all".

 **AN: Sorry this took so long. In my defence, I've been working on a lot of other stories so I've been short on time. This is one I come back to when I'm not really working on, or feeling like, anything else. Hope I can update sooner next time, but don't hold me to that. Hope you enjoyed reading! Xx**


	10. Chapter 9

Zola has been listening in on the conversation her mom and aunt are having from a distance but as soon as she hears them mentioning having breakfast with Owen she runs over. "Can I go wake uncle Owen? Please?!" She whines, and the two adults laugh.

Meredith hesitates though. She's seen first hand what can happen when Owen wakes up, not to mention the time he choked Cristina in his sleep, and she isn't sure if she wants her daughter in that kind of danger. Even though he got help and his PTSD is almost gone, there's still a risk involved.

Catching on to her doubt, Amelia speaks up. "How about we go wake him together Zo? how does that sound?" She proposes, and she meets Meredith's eye.

"You know?" Meredith asks and Amelia nods. "He told me last year. Nothing ever happens, but he sleeps better knowing that I'm prepared if something did". It's enough to satisfy Meredith and she turns to her daughter, "You can help your aunt wake your uncle".

The sentence causes butterflies to stir in Amelia's stomach. One day Owen could truly be Zola's uncle, and maybe she'd have cousins too. It terrifies Amelia that she's not more terrified at the idea, but merely excited.

"Come on Zo" She says, picking up the little girl, "Let's go wake the sleepyhead".

They trek up the stairs together. When they reach her bedroom door Amelia dramatically puts a finger to her lips "Shhh". And they walk in on their tippy toes.

It would most likely be impossible for Zola to climb up on the bed without waking Owen, and so Amelia picks her up again, hovering her above Owen's sleeping form. Zola puts her little hands on his face and pries open one of his eyes with her fingers.

A small smile plays on his lips, betraying that he's already awake, and Amelia takes revenge by dropping Zola on top of him. The little girl squeals as Owen picks her up with his big hands and moves her up and down. Then he drops he by his side and tickles her, making her laugh uncontrollably.

Amelia watches them with fondness, but is rudely interrupted when Owen comes after her next. "You're going to regret waking me" He teases as he pulls onto the bed and tickles her sides. Amelia can't help but laugh, "Zola, help me!" She exclaims in between laughing fits, and her niece flings herself at Owen, knocking him back into the pillows.

"Okay, okay, I surrender!" He yells and Zola crosses her arms across her chest triumphantly as Amelia sits upright.

"Hey Zo" Amelia says, "Why don't you go help your mom set the table while uncle Owen gets dressed? We'll be down in a minute". The little girl nods enthusiastically and jumps from the bed. Before she runs out she turns to Owen with a big smile on her face, "We're having waffles". And then she's gone.

Owen looks at Amelia, "So we're having waffles". She smiles, "We are". And then she kisses him. He leans into the kiss eagerly but pulls away after a few seconds. "I wasn't sure if I was allowed to come down stairs yet" he questions.

To his surprise Amelia smiles broadly. "You are", She says, "Meredith caught us last night and she's okay with it. Apparently we look cute together. Her words, not mine".

"That's great" He beams. "Now let's get downstairs before princess Zola decides we're taking too long". Amelia grins, knowing full well that her niece would be capable of that, and gets of the bed to walk towards the door.

Owen follows right after her and stops her. "I'm gonna need that shirt back" He teases. She sticks out her tongue and moves over to her dresser. After rummaging around for a moment she hands him a pair of sweats and.. An army t-shirt.

"These are mine" He comments dryly. She blushes slightly and shrugs her shoulders, "I may have borrowed them a year ago and never given them back". The notion of her borrowing his clothes makes him very happy and he smiles, "Good to know". She sticks out her tongue and then leaves the room.

He quickly puts on the garments and heads after her, thinking he'd be happy to wake up like this every morning for the rest of his life.


	11. Chapter 10

Breakfast passes by leisurely. Zola keeps all of them entertained, talking about some science project her class is doing, and Bailey gets waffles all over himself. The level of awkwardness is covered up slightly by Zola's incessant storytelling.

This situation is entirely unfamiliar to all of them, though the kids don't seem to care in the slightest, and particularly Meredith and Owen feel ill at ease, mostly due to their shared history with Cristina.

Amelia tries to ignore the tension between her boyfriend and her sister in law, and she decides to give them a chance to talk and work things out by making herself scarce. As Zola finishes her last waffle Amelia speaks up. "I'm gonna go take a shower and get ready for work" She says, then she turns to Zola, "Wanna come and help me pick out an outfit Zo?".

The little girl nods enthusiastically, immediately hopping off her chair. Amelia gets up too and together they walk up the stairs, leaving Owen and Meredith at the table with Bailey.

Meredith wants to strike up conversations, she just doesn't know how. The last time she found out Owen was dating a member of her family she'd resented him and this time she'd done the opposite by trying to protect him and running Amelia off in the process.

"I'm glad you guys worked things out" Meredith starts, and Owen merely nods and smiles at her. I'm sorry I meddled before, I was just trying to look out for the two of you. I remembered you and Cristina and having kids drove you apart, and I thought Amelia wasn't ready for that kind of commitment, but she's changed. You both have. You're good together".

Owen isn't surprised. He and Meredith have gotten closer since his marriage with Cristina ended, funnily enough, and it's obvious that she cares about a lot about Amelia too. "Thank you, i'm glad" He says, "You have to know I love her Meredith, I don't ever plan on hurting her. I've changed too and I've learned from my mistakes. I wanna start a family with her but I won't if it means losing her".

Normally he isn't this honest about his feelings, but she's basically family to him by now and so he lets her in. Like Amelia he too needs to learn to deal with his emotions, to share.

Meredith is grinning ear to ear. After she takes a bite of waffle she points her fork towards Owen. "She wants kids. I can tell. You should talk to her about it" Meredith advices, feeling slightly better about breaking them up now that she's helping them.

But Owen doesn't seem so sure. He shakes his head and looks down at the table. "I don't know" He says, "Talking about kids is going to be hard for her, and it won't be too easy on me either so...". Owen falls silent as he notices the confusion on Meredith's face.

"What do you mean it's going to be hard on her"Meredith asks, "What don't I know?". The realisation hits him that Amelia mustn't have told her, which means he's already said too much. "Oh, nothing" He replies quickly, then he adds "You should talk to her about it". It makes him feel slightly guilty betraying Amelia's trust, but he knows Meredith should know. She's family after all.

Just then Amelia comes down the stairs, Zola following close behind. Both are neatly dressed and ready for the day.

As Amelia reaches Owen she puts a hand on his shoulder. "D'you wanna carpool to the hospital?"She asks, "We can go by the trailer so you can change. If we leave now we should have enough time".

Owen nods in reply and gets up. "Let's go" He says, and then, looking back at Meredith, "Thanks for breakfast". Meredith smiles, "Anytime".


	12. Chapter 11

The couple drive by the trailer first so that Owen can put on a clean shirt and a pair of jeans. He realises that he left the other items in Amelia's room but he can't get himself to mind. This way he'll have a good reason to come back sometime. Not that he doesn't have cause enough already.

Once they're back in the car, Amelia behind the wheel, and driving down the long and winding road that'll lead them to the ferryboat Owen turns to her. "So I just talked to Meredith" He starts, "She really does seem to be okay with us. But uhm.. There's something you should know". He feels it's only fair to warn her that Meredith might want to talk to her. He's the one who told her too much after all.

"We were talking and she explained why she warned you off me last time. She mentioned that she thought you weren't ready to have children but now she thinks you are. And I might have told her that kids would be a difficult subject for you". He says the last sentence really quickly, as if that will make it easier to hear.

Amelia has been staring straight ahead until now, watching the road, but she turns to him. he's fully expecting to see rage on her face, betrayal maybe even, but she seems calm. Taking a deep breath she tilts her head. "Well, I guess I couldn't keep it a secret for ever. She has the right to know, as my sister. I should've told her a long time ago. Her and Derek".

Her eyes turn foggy at the memory of her brother and she looks back to the road. Owen places his hand on top of her shoulder and is happy when the corner of her mouth turns up, signaling a smile. "You're not in trouble for telling her too much, don't worry" She jokes, "you couldn't have known that I didn't tell them, it's logical for you to think I did. So really I owe you a thank you, for giving me an opening to have that conversation".

Owen grins. "Glad to be of help".

They reach the docks easy enough and board without a problem. Amelia is determined to spend the entire passage on the top deck. Now that she and Owen have listened to Derek's voicemail she's committed to try and really appreciate ferryboat rides. Her brother loved them and she plans on continuing to love them for him, in his honor, in his memory.

Owen doesn't have to ask to know what's going through her mind. It's their first boat ride since listening to the last remnants of Derek Shepherd. He too wants to cherish and enjoy the journey and he takes Amelia's hand as they walk to the railing.

The weather is atypically good. A light breeze making itself known but hardly a cloud in the sky. Amelia stands soaking in the sunlight, she's missed the LA weather since coming to Seattle, even though she feels more at home here than anywhere ever before. She still longs for the occasional warm day, and of course to the friends she left behind.

"It's a nice day" Amelia says offhandedly, "Seattle's only flaw is that the sun's hardly ever out. I miss that about LA". She leans against Owen's shoulder as she stares out over the water.

He stays silent as he contemplates things. They haven't been back together all that long. Three days hardly constitutes as a relationship but then again they're not a new thing. Whatever they are they have been for over a year now, and he knows it's going to last.

Besides, both of them can use a little down time. Owen doesn't know how she's going to respond but he figures he'll propose his plan anyway, at worst she'll say no. "We could go. Take a trip together. It might be nice" He offers, "I have some vacation days coming and I know for a fact you've been putting in way too much overtime".

Amelia turns to look at him and meets his eye, as she leans into the railing sideways. "You're serious?" She asks, though she already knows the answer. "Yeah, why not. We both could use some time off" is his reply, "Plus I've always wanted to see LA and you'll have a chance to visit your friends".

How he knows exactly what she was thinking earlier she doesn't know. But it doesn't really matter either because it means he gets her and it's nice that she doesn't have to say everything she's thinking.

Right now she finds herself speechless and she can do nothing but kiss him. His lips meet hers without hesitation and his hands sneak around her back, pulling her closer. They get lost in the moment until Owen finally pulls away, still holding her body to his.

"So I guess we're going to LA" He pipes up as he grins at her cheekily. Amelia brings her hand up from his chest to cup his cheek and tilts her head slightly. "We're going to LA" She replies, and the smile on her face is bigger than he's seen it in a long time.

 **AN; So I'm sorry for the long wait, I haven't really felt like writing a lot, and I've had a shitload of other stuff going on. I'm going to try and update more frequently from now on but don't hold me to that. Here's quite a long chapter to make up for my long absence. I have to say I still have no idea where I'm going, I have like 3 chapter ideas left, so if anyone has any idea, feel free to share. Hope you like it. Xx Brook**


	13. Chapter 12

That evening Amelia comes home relatively early. It has been a slow day for her, with hardly any neuro traumas and only one aneurism clip. She spent the day mostly finishing up paperwork.

Unfortunately Owen was busy and he left Amelia to take care of getting them plane tickets. She bought them over her lunch break, and she wanted to tell them on their way back home but he got pulled into an emergency surgery and so she drove back on her own.

Meredith is sitting on the couch when Amelia walks in. Judging by the quiet she's already put the kids to bed and Amelia silently curses. She wants to talk to Meredith, knows it's coming, but she would've liked a bit more time to unwind and settle in. To prepare herself. And the kids still being up would've given her that.

The women smile at each other as Amelia crosses the threshold. "Hey" She says, and she dumps her bag and jacket on the coat rack.

It seems as though Meredith is completely at ease but Amelia can feel a tension in her body that wasn't there before. She walks to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water and takes a deep breath before she joins her sister in law on the couch.

"So how was your day?" Meredith asks, trying to make Amelia feel more at ease, but Amelia isn't buying it. "Just ask Mer, I know Owen said too much and you're probably dying to know, so just ask".

The matter has been on her mind all day. Ever since Owen's comment about children being a difficult subject for Amelia she's been wondering why that could be. Meredith doesn't wanna pry, but Amelia gave her permission to ask and so she does.

"Why is having children going to be hard for you?".

A deep sigh escapes Amelia's lips. "You know about me relapsing and my fiancé dying right?" She asks and she waits for Meredith to nod before she continues. "Well, a few months after I got out of rehab I discovered I was pregnant".

Amelia takes another deep breath. "Now obviously I don't have a kid or you would have known about it. When Addison did an ultrasound…" She says and she halters slightly, "We found out he was anencephalic".

The look on Meredith's face is enough proof that she knows the term but Amelia feels the need to explain in more detail anyway. "He had no brain. Which is just… cruel. I decided to donate his organs so that something good could come from his existence".

"But anyway" She concludes, "That's why having kids is going to be a challenge, because of my last pregnancy. Because I'm scared to death. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner".

Meredith takes a moment to gather her thoughts before she answers, and when she does it it's with the same sympathy filled eyes Amelia now knows so well. "Thank you for telling me. For what it's worth I'm really sorry that this happened to you. But I'm sure it won't happen again." Meredith comments, and then she jokes, "You and Owen will have beautiful babies".

It's enough to make Amelia smile, although feebly, and Meredith grins at her. "I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now we're going to LA together, let's just start with that".


End file.
